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    Back to To the Point

    To the Point

    Money and Influence on Capitol Hill

    Supreme Court decisions have unleashed a tide of corporate and special-interest spending that is setting records for mid-term election campaigns. Conservatives and liberals are both using new rules to raise buckets of money, but Republicans are getting three times more than Democrats are.

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    By Warren Olney • May 12, 2014 • 1 min read

    Supreme Court decisions have unleashed a tide of corporate and special-interest spending that is setting records for mid-term election campaigns. Conservatives and liberals are both using new rules to raise buckets of money, but Republicans are getting three times more than Democrats are. For the most part, it's perfectly legal, but what's the message about the integrity of the Senate and Congress? Are contributions directly related to votes on Capitol Hill? Has the dependence on money eroded public trust in the second branch of government?

    The full episode

    2 of 3
    Midterm Election Campaign Spending Is Up
    1. 0:00Obama's Gulf Restoration Plan Is Released
    2. 7:30Money and Influence on Capitol HillYou’re reading this
    3. 44:12Rahm Emanuel Reportedly Will Step Down This Week
    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Warren Olney

      former KCRW broadcaster

    • Sonya Geis with wavy brown hair wearing a black dress with red accents and decorative earrings against a white background.

      Sonya Geis

      Senior Managing Editor

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      Andrea Brody

      Senior Producer, KCRW's Life Examined and To the Point podcast

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      Katie Cooper

      Producer, 'One year Later'

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      Dave Levinthal

      Center for Public Integrity

    • KCRW placeholder

      Lawrence Lessig

      Harvard Law School

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      David Keating

      Club for Growth

      NewsNationalPolitics

    The full episode

    2 of 3
    Midterm Election Campaign Spending Is Up
    1. 0:00Obama's Gulf Restoration Plan Is Released
    2. 7:30Money and Influence on Capitol HillYou’re reading this
    3. 44:12Rahm Emanuel Reportedly Will Step Down This Week
    Back to To the Point